Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 3

Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 3

by | Dec 26, 2012

In post one of this series on getting to Disney on a Single Mom Budget I shared how I planned in advance to buy the park hopper tickets and book our flight. In part two I shared how I researched and found our hotel at Downtown Disney for about $25 per night. Now I’ll share how we were able to get to the parks and other attractions using Disney Transportation.

Our transportation needs were met through using shuttle buses. When we landed in Orlando we took the Mears shuttle to our hotel in Downtown Disney. I paid for round trip tickets for the both of us. They would pick us up and drop us off at the airport for an affordable price. The driver was friendly and very helpful as well.

When we got to our hotel we found out the Disney Transportation schedule. The good thing about it was the Disney buses came like clockwork. We never had to wait longer than 15 minutes for the bus. Another great thing is the busses took us between the parks as well. So when we left Magic Kingdom we could take the bus to Animal Kingdom. Having the park hopper tickets made it easy to visit the parks we wanted to see.

Tip: If you plan to fly into MCO-Orlando, book a roundtrip shuttle in advance. There are several companies that run from the airport to Disney. I used Mears and could book online. You don’t have to worry about rental cars, parking fees, or navigating through traffic. Use the Disney bus system to get where you want to go.

Summary

  • When I went to Disney World with my daughter in 2004 I was able to get some good deals and have a really great time. But while I was there I looked at the luxury hotels and wished I had saved a little more money to splurge.
  • The trip was virtually worry and stress-free though. I didn’t have to worry about driving because we flew. I didn’t have to worry about transportation because the bus picked us up from the airport and we had shuttle service to the parks.
  • I got multi-day passes at a discount at the military installation where I worked so we could visit the parks as often as we wanted to. Food was no problem because my daughter ate free and I didn’t eat much anyway. In short it was a very good trip because I was able to pay for all the things I wanted.
  • But if I had saved for a year or two the trip would have been even better. So save up your pennies, make extra money by selling stuff you don’t need, do freelance work, and look for discounts. You can have the trip of a lifetime because you planned for it in advance.
  • Another tip is to pay for things over time. Buy the plane ticket months in advance when you have the money.
  • Reserve the room and send the money when you have the right amount.
  • Simply take each element of the trip and pay as you go so by the time the day comes you will have very little to worry about financially except spending money.
Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 3

Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 2

by | Dec 18, 2012

In part 1 of the Disney on a Single Mom Budget post I shared how I took my daughter to Disney World on a pretty tight budget. I bought the tickets first at a discount and purchased the plan tickets well in advance to get a discount. In this post I share how I got our hotel for around $25 per night.

After I bought the airline tickets I began looking for hotels that were either on the Disney property or close to it. I didn’t want to worry about getting to the parks and I didn’t want to rent a car and have to pay for parking.

Research is the Key to Getting the Best Deals

I researched hotels that were outside of Disney first. They were cheaper but I felt it would be too much of a hassle to get into the park each day. I decided I wanted to say on Disney property so I researched their cheapests resorts. They were still way out of my budget even though it would be easy to get around the parks. I just couldn’t swing it.

Use Bidding Sites to Find Good Deals

But I got a tip from MouseSavers.com and a couple of forums to check out the hotels in Downtown Disney. They weren’t technically Disney-owned properties but they were serviced by the Disney shuttle system. I put on my thinking cap and researched all the hotels in Downtown Disney then I went to Hotwire.com to see if I could find a nice hotel that was in my budget. I found one that worked but before I booked it I did even more research.

I went to BetterBidding.com and checked the forum for bids that were won. They describe the property a person is considering and reveal the name of the hotel. I found out the name of the property I had my eye on and went to the website. It was the Holiday Inn resort hotel. They had good ratings, was in Downtown Disney, and kids could eat for free. Score!!!! I booked the hotel for three nights at $25 per night.

It was a pretty decent hotel. Not necessarily top of the line but it was good for us. My daughter ate for free at breakfast and dinner and we ate at the park for lunch.

Tip: Book your hotel through Hotwire or other travel bidding site if your money is tight. You can find out what the property is at BetterBidding.com or similar site. You may find a 3-5 star hotel for rock bottom prices.

In the next part I’ll share how I got around Disney for free!

Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 3

Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 1

by | Dec 11, 2012

With all the recent posts about my Disney trip I decided to post about how I took my daughter a few years ago for less than $1,000. I hope it helps you plan a trip for you and your kids too. Now is the time to start planning and paying your way to Disney. You won’t regret it.

In 2004 my daughter and I took a trip to Disney World. I had just graduated from college and gave myself this gift to reward myself for all the hard work. It was also an opportunity to take my daughter to Disney World for the first time.

I planned the trip a few months ahead of time but didn’t go all out like I see many families do. I was a college student, a mom, and a part-time intern. My money at the time would only stretch so far. But I made it work by using my research skills to sniff out deals.

Planning a trip to Disney typically starts at around $1,500. I didn’t have that kind of money to spend so I scoured the Disney websites and boards to get tips on how to get there with less than $1,000. I needed airfare for me and my daughter, a nice place to stay, food and transportation. I also needed tickets to the parks.

How to Get Discount Disney Park Hopper Tickets

The first thing I did was buy the park tickets. I worked on a military base at the time so I had access to their discount tickets because I was a government employee. I could buy park hopper tickets at a discount of about 35% or so. My daughter’s ticket was less because I could get the child rate. The tickets didn’t have an expiration date on them so I could go at any time I could schedule the trip. That was important and gave me a lot of flexibility.

Tip: If you work on a military base get your Disney tickets from MWR office. If you know someone who works on a military base or government facility ask them to purchase tickets for you.

Plan in Advance to Get Cheap Airline Tickets to Disney

The next thing I did was look for airline tickets. The earlier I booked them the cheaper they were. This was during the time when airfare was a lot less expensive. If I remember correctly, I was able to purchase round-trip tickets for about $150 or less each. So that was about $300 for our tickets to fly to Orlando, Florida.

Tip: Plan your trip at least three months ahead of time and buy your airline tickets weeks in advance. You will get a much better price at least two weeks in advance. You can try bidding sites as well but your mileage may vary.

In the next post I’ll share how I found a hotel on Disney Property for only $25  per night!

Splitsville Comes to Downtown Disney for More Family Fun

Splitsville Comes to Downtown Disney for More Family Fun

by | Dec 9, 2012

 

I scored 92 points to win the bowling game my kids and I played at Splitsville Luxury Lanes the other day. It’s not a spectacular score but I did get two strikes after getting off to a terrible start. You’ve seen the posts I’ve shared with you about our trip to Disney World. Splitsville is one of the stops we made during the preview and grand opening of the New Fantasyland.

Goofy stopped by to get things started in grand style, then we were invited into the Rock and Bowl party.

My kids and I were a part of the preview so we were able to sample the delicious food. Have you ever heard of a bowling center that had sushi on the menu? Yeah, we hadn’t either, but Splitsville has it and it was quite tasty. The ingredients were fresh and there was no imitation anything in sight. There was pizza, including the a very delicious barbeque chicken pizza. Yum!!!

The service was done in usual Disney style. The servers were attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. The music was loud and thumping just like it should be in a bowling lane.

There are two floors with a total of 30 bowling lanes, three pool tables, two sushi bars, and four bars for your favorite drink (including non-alcoholic beverages).

Here are 10 facts about Splitsville:

  1. Opening: Early December, 2012 in Downtown Disney West Side at Walt Disney World Resort.
  2. Square Footage: 50,000. Largest Splitsville ever built.
  3. Number of lanes: 30. Nearly twice as many as any other Splitsville.
  4. Lane configuration: 20 lanes second-level, 10 ground-level. First two-level Splitsville of its kind.
  5. Number of bars: Five, featuring the famous Splitsville frozen schooner of beer, specialty cocktails and a wide selection of frozen specialty drinks.
  6. Featured menu items: Hand-cut steaks, mahi mahi with Voodoo shrimp, fresh-rolled sushi, filet sliders, hand-tossed pizza and classic hamburgers made with Splitsville’s special blend of certified angus brisket, short rib and ground chuck.
  7. Number of sushi bars: Two – one on each level where customers can watch chefs roll their hand-made creations and belly-up for a Volcano Roll, Super Tuna or any of the fresh selections.
  8. Other unique features: Lane concierge responsible for delivering shoes and bowling balls to your lanes prior to your arrival; outdoor patio dining on both floors; billiards tables; live music seven nights a week; more than 60 flat screen TVs.
  9. First location: Tampa, Fla. (opened December 2003)
  10. Other Splitsville locations: Tampa; Miami; Fairview, Texas and Fredericksburg, Va.

Check out the rest of the pictures on Google+ —>>> RichSingleMomma @ Splitsville at Downtown Disney

The Chevrolet Test Track Experience at Disney’s Epcot

The Chevrolet Test Track Experience at Disney’s Epcot

by | Dec 8, 2012

 

I love fast cars and motorcycle rides. I bet you didn’t know that about me did you? This means the Chevrolet Test Track ride at Epcot Center was right up my alley. An exhilarating ride! That is how I describe Chevrolet Test Track at Disney.

I didn’t know how fast we would go at the beginning of the ride so it was a pleasant surprise at the end. I won’t give it all away, but I’ll start from the beginning and give you the highlights.

Start with designing your own car in one of two design centers. You can do a quick design or take your time and design the car of your dreams right down to the chrome wheels.

Next you get in the queue to test the design. The test station is a 6-car ride that takes you through several tests to determine if your design will hold up to slippery rides, bad weather, or unexpected road hazards in a simulation. The last leg of the test is where the exhilaration comes.

According to Disney:

“The sleek new “Chevrolet Design Center” invites guests to create their own virtual custom-concept vehicle.

“Car designer wannabes get to shape their own virtual car, truck or crossover and learn how their choices perform against four important performance attributes that guide Chevrolet designers:

  • Capability – design your car to handle the roughest roads or most extreme weather conditions
  • Efficiency – create a car that saves on fuel, reduces your environmental footprint, cuts down on emissions or even uses recycled parts
  • Responsiveness – choose elements that will give you easy maneuverability through the tightest of turns
  • Power – choose the gear you need to make your car a racer or a hauler

“At design kiosks, rows of touch screens become canvasses for guests to try their hand at automotive design. They can design alone or collaborate on their design with family and friends. Even choose from six different languages.”

If you love fast cars you will love this part! Your test car speeds up to 60+ miles an hour on an outdoor track that curves and dips then screeched to a halt at the end. Your design is rated at the end and you can see how it ranked against other designs.

If you love fast cars or just love going fast in general you will love this ride. At the end you get to check out the new Chevrolet cars. Taking pictures by them was not too good because of the lighting but you can see my kids were enjoying them anyway.

 

 

RichSingleMomma Visits the New Fantasyland at Disney World

RichSingleMomma Visits the New Fantasyland at Disney World

by | Dec 6, 2012


The thing about blogging is my family and I get invited to really cool trips to cover events that families like yours will like. This time we were invited to Disney to cover the grand opening of the New Fantasyland. It’s an exciting time for us. I remember Fantasyland from when I was a little girl back in the 70s. What a wonderful place to be.

Fantasyland had been closed for a while undergoing renovations  New attractions have been added to expand on the growing family of modern day Disney princesses. Now Ariel has her Grotto, Belle has her village, and in 2013 a new Hall of Princesses will be unveiled.

The kids and I got a preview of the Under the Sea attraction and Tales with Belle. I enjoyed both experiences. Here are a few pictures below:

 

 

Cinderella’s Castle turned into an ice castle with all the lights!

 

Belle’s Tales attraction featuring Belle

 

The Wardrobe in Belle’s Tale attraction